US 11,993,360 B2
Energy attenuating pod carrier system for vertical lift aircraft
Kirk Landon Groninga, Keller, TX (US); Daniel Bryan Robertson, Southlake, TX (US); Matthew Edward Louis, Fort Worth, TX (US); and Paul Charles Griffiths, Roanoke, TX (US)
Assigned to Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed on Nov. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/094,180.
Prior Publication US 2022/0144406 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 1/06 (2006.01); B64D 9/00 (2006.01); B64D 25/00 (2006.01); B64F 5/10 (2017.01); B64C 29/00 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 1/062 (2013.01) [B64D 9/00 (2013.01); B64F 5/10 (2017.01); B64C 29/0016 (2013.01); B64D 25/00 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle, comprising:
a pod carrier;
a pod rotatably connected to the pod carrier;
an energy attenuating system (EAS) disposed between the pod and the pod carrier to attenuate forces associated with a deflection of the pod relative to the pod carrier;
an upper rotation bar of the pod carrier;
an upper clamp carried by the pod and configured to selectively connect the pod to the pod carrier;
a lower rotation bar carried by the pod carrier; and
a lower clamp carried by the pod and configured to selectively connect the pod to the pod carrier;
wherein the lower rotation bar is configured to selectively rotate about the upper rotation bar;
wherein an energy attenuating strut is connected between the lower rotation bar and the pod carrier;
wherein when the pod is rotated about the upper rotation bar from an undeflected state to a deflected state, the energy attenuating strut is lengthened; and
wherein a stabilizing strut is connected between the energy attenuating strut and the pod carrier.